Microsoft has been working on a prototype of Digits—a wrist-worn sensor that could change the future

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Microsoft has developed Digits, a hand-gesture sensor bracelet that creates 3D models of hands (not the one in this file image) in real-time.

Imagine playing video games without a controller or twisting an imaginary dial to control the volume on the TV.

What was a space-age fantasy is now a reality with Digits, a hand-gesture sensor bracelet developed by Microsoft and researchers at Newcastle University and the University of Crete. The bracelet relies on infrared light and laser beams to map a person’s hands and fingers in real-time, BBC News reported.

Microsoft claims that Digits offers the same accuracy as glove-based sensors but is more practical, the report said. Digits would allow users to type out a message or phone number on a smart phone while it’s in their pocket, control a tablet product remotely and adjust radio and television controls from the couch.

Microsoft said it’s a long way from marketing the technology and would ultimately like to reduce it down to the size of a watch, according to BBC News.